Stok halls



G. E. D. BALLS. A CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR MOTOR ROAD AND OTHER VEHICLES.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

APPLICATION FILED APH. I8. I9I8.

UNITED SATES PATENT GFFICE.

GEORGE EDWARD DURSTON RALLS, 0F BIRMINGHAM/I, ENGLAND.

CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSIGN MECIIANISM FR MOTOR ROAD AND GTI-IER VEHICLES.

Application filed. April 18, 1918.

To all Iw/wm 'it may concer/a.'

Be it lrnown that I, GEORGE EDWARD DUR- s'roiv limits, a subject oi the Kingdom oi Great Britain, residing at Bl-/l Bradford street, Birmingham, lVarwichshire, England, have invented Improvements in or Relating to Clutch and Transmission Mechanism for Motor Road and other Vehicles, of which the following is a specilication.

, This invention comprises certain improvements in or relating to clutch and transmission mechanism for motor road and other vehicles.

.According to the present invention I provide in conjunction with a clutch involving a plate on one shaft section adapted to be gripped between plates or the equivalent appertaining to the other shaft section, a universal coupling incorporated in or substantially in the plane oi' the clutch, such universal coupling involving provision pei mitting of a relative axial movement oli the parts of the coupling.

I also incorporate provision for releasing the clutch, according to which allthree ot the clutch elements are adapted to be positively separated from each other, for which purpose the intermediate plate of the clutch is adapted to be axially displaced.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into practice, reference may be had to the appended explanatory sheet of drawings, upon which Figure l is a sectional elevation of a clutch mechanism according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates in perspective a detail ci the mechanism shown in Fig. l.

In a convenient embodiment of the pres ent invention, the driving shaft a has secured to it a fly-wheel b, which carries two rings c, (Z, one Z of which is adapted to move axially in relation to the other, which rings are provided with appropriate clutch facings of fibrous or other material, and between which rings a plate e constitutnigthe driven member ol' the clutch is adapted to be gripped. This plate has a bess c1, between which and the fly-wheel a ball bearing e2 is incorporated, and the said plate also carries four segment-shaped lugs 7", between which blocks g are incorporated. The said blocks are perforated and assembled upon radially projecting bosses or studs 7L of a star end, with which the driven shaft z' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Serial No. 229,403.

is furnished, so that a slight angular and axial displacement oi' the driven shaft in relation to the driving shaft is thereby rendered permissible and hence a universal coupling is formed between the driving and driven shai'ts. Extending from the driven clutch plate in a direction away from the ily-wheel is a sleeve j. This sleeve is enlarged at its one extremity to inclose the universal. coupling, and confine the lubricating oil applied thereto. Around this sleeve a second sleeve if; hereinafter called the clutch operating sleeve is adapted to slide rIbis clutch operating sleeve is keyed to the sleeve y' of the driven clutch element, and it is furnished at its one end with a flange 751v by which it is adapted to be dis` placed axially by any suitable mechanism.

rEhe clutch plates are inclosed by a closure member Z combined with the fly-wheel Z), and which closure member at eachof a series of, say, three radii, is furnished with a cup member m adapted to contain a coiled spring which bears upon the clutch plate al. T his cup member m is screwed into the closure member, and thus by simply manipulating the said cup member the eliort of the springs can be adjusted.

rit a suitable number, say, three, of radii intermediate to the said cup members 'm in which the springs are incorporated, radially disposed levers a are incorporated externally of the closure member Z. These levers a are pivoted at their outermost extremities. 0 at an intermediate position 29 they are appropriately coupled to the plate clutch member' Z appertaining to the ily-wheel, and at their inner extremities they are engaged by a sleeve y adapted to be displaced axially by the clutch operating sleeve 7c, between which latter and the sleeve g with which the radial levers coperate, an anti-friction bearing 11 is incorporated. By axially displacing the clutch operating sleeve la, the outer clutch plate is thus displaced axially against the resistance of the coiled springs. After the clutch operating sleeve 7c has received a certain degree of movement, it is adapted to engage with a projection or enlargement j upon the sleeve y', which is secured to the driven plate member of the clutch se that this plate member is also displaced axially to disenga e it from the third member c of the clut which is incapable of axial movement in relation to the fly-wheel.

This closure member which is secured to the fly-wheel to inclose the clutch plates may be furnished with a boss or sleeve-like extension 1", between which and the sleeve appertaining to the driven plate clutch member a ball bearing s may be incorporated.

Apertures are provided in the closure member Z which is combined with the flywheel; said apertures may, for instance, be provided in the cup members m adapted to contain the coiled springs which bear upon the clutch' plates. Apertures e are also provided in the intermediate clutch plate, and between the clutch ring which is adjacent to the web of the fly-wheel and said web of the fly-wheel, air circulation grooves s are incorporated; these air circulation grooves may communicate with apertures t passing through the web of the fly-wheel.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The combination of a pair of shafts arranged end to end, a pair of concentrically arranged axially movable sleeves on one of said shafts, an intermediate plate secured to the inner of said sleeves, a pair of friction members revoluble with the other shaft and arranged on opposite sides of the intermediate plate, one of said members being movable toward and from said plate, and means operated by the outer of the concentric sleeves to displace said last named member, said sleeves being constructed and arranged to cause the inner sleeve, together' with the intermediate plate, to be displaced by the outer sleeve after the latter has been displaced and has caused the last named friction member to be displaced from said intermediate plate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE EDWARD DURS'lON RALLS.

Vitnesses:

ARTHUR H. BRowN, EDGAR N. WHEELER. 

